U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 15710 / April 20, 1998 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. BENJAMIN BUSH, Criminal Action No. 98 CR 35 (C.D. Cal.) On April 7, 1998, Benjamin Bush ("Bush"), an investment adviser and president of his investment adviser managment firm, Ben Bush Investment Management, Inc. ("BBIM"), pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. Bush will be sentenced on June 29, 1998. The Securities and Exchange Commission obtained Judgments of Permanent Injunction and Other Relief against Bush and BBIM on January 24, 1997 based on the same conduct. The judgments permanently enjoin Bush and BBIM from future violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"), antifraud provisions; Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-2 thereunder, custody and possession violations; Section 204 of the Advisers Act and Rules 204- 1(b)(2), 204-2(a) and 204-2(b) thereunder, books and records violations; and Section 207 of the Advisers Act, registration filings violations. The judgments further provide that Bush and BBIM shall pay disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties in amounts subsequently to be determined by the Court. Bush and BBIM consented to the entry of the judgments without admitting or denying the Commission's allegations. In addition, Bush agreed to be barred from the securities industry, and BBIM consented to a revocation of its registration as an investment adviser. In its complaint, the Commission alleged that Bush, through BBIM, managed approximately $10 million for wealthy and sophisticated clients nationwide. The Commission alleged, among other things, that from January 1995 through the filing of the Commission's action on September 25, 1996, Bush: (a) misappropriated at least $450,000 of his clients' funds accepting money from clients to purchase investments on their behalf, but failing to purchase the investments; (b) commingled client funds with his own funds in a single corporate bank account which he used like a private checking account to pay his own expenses, such as rent, alimony and car insurance, and to purchase such personal items as hockey tickets and jewelry; (c) sent his clients false account statements, fraudulently showing that he had purchased investments on their behalf; (d) used forged brokerage statements to solicit clients' business; and (e) induced several of his clients to purchase Brazilian bonds of uncertain value issued in 1902 and 1915 which Bush kept in his safety deposit box at his local bank. On September 26, 1996, the Commission obtained a temporary restraining order against Bush and BBIM which ordered them to immediately cease their fraudulent activities, and an order placing a freeze on Bush's assets to protect investor funds. On October 4, 1996, the Court entered a preliminary injunction against Bush and BBIM, which continued to bar them from their fraudulent activities and continued the asset freeze. For further information, see Litigation Release Nos. 15101, 15132, and 15241.